Colorado Quality Standard 3: Student Websites
I often incorporate technology into lesson plans. Asking students to create online content is often more motivating than tasks that aren’t displayed for the public. I ask that students create their own websites in order to organize their learning resources and projects. I find that this practice increases students’ ability to self-organize and keep all of their links and programs in one place. Additionally, I ask students to make their demonstrations of learning available to their peers in the form of an interactive website. This empowers students to use new technology and become more computer literate.
Asking students to create useful, informative online content maximizes student learning (Element D), as it puts students in the shoes of the teacher or presenter. The use of a variety of online platforms and tools helps develop critical thinking and problem solving skills (Element E), in that it helps students come up with creative solutions in our online, technology-driven world. Research also shows that this practice is developmentally appropriate and motivates student learning, especially with students with limited English (Element A & C). Producing presentations in a website or online format also allows students to work together as a collaborative group (Element F).
Helping students learn how to create websites enables them to put information together in a way that has not been possible before. Students are able to gather and present a plethora of information in multiple formats. When students are able to imbed video, present pictures, and multiple representations of an idea, they are much more engaged in the process. This has also been a way in which limited-English students can show growth more visually. Students can work together on small tasks that work together to form a very impressive presentation of information.
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